Early Morning Reflections
It's Saturday morning. I was awake at 5:37, making a bottle and a cup of coffee. Once upon a time, I would have been horrified at the thought of being awake that early on a Saturday morning. Part of me still rebels, hoping against all hope that I'll get a reprieve and be able to sleep in. But a larger part of me relishes these quiet moments. The moments when I am free to sit, pray, read, plan, think, and just be. When no one is shouting for me to Come.And.Wipe.My.Bottom. When the sound of children's television is absent. When the only thing I can hear is birds, waking up for the day, the light snoring of my baby, some cars on the highway (very faintly), and the sound of my own heart, faithfully beating out the rhythm of my life. I love my life, and I wouldn't trade it for another. I wouldn't trade the poo-splosions, the tantrums, the workload, the broken sleep, the inability to remember if I've showered recently, the neverending cycle of housework, the complete absence of privacy, the long-lost luxury of being able to focus my mind on one thing at a time without being sidetracked by a million mental post-it notes, or the immense sense of responsibility, guilt, and obligation I feel on a daily basis. No, I wouldn't trade it for the life I used to have.
Because the life I used to have was missing (apart from that list I just made) one extremely vital element.
Jesus.
Oh, I knew who he was, I had the Sunday school answers. But he was no more real to me than any other historical figure. He had no place in my daily life. And then I met my husband, and something changed. I wanted a life worth sharing with someone. I wanted a life of substance, of meaning. And I found it in Christ.
It didn't answer all my questions, and it didn't make me a perfect human being, a 'Stepford Christian'. I still make mistakes, I'm still selfish, and lazy, and messy. But the biggest difference in my life is that I'm not content to stay that way. I want to be more, better. I strive for 'better' in every aspect of my life. In my relationships, in my work, in my life. Good enough is something to settle for. It implies that I'm happy with where I'm at, that I'm satisified. I don't want to be satisfied any more. I want to be always seeking to improve. Because truth is that I am not perfect, and there will always be room for improvement. I'm not talking about wanting to be perfect, because that's not going to happen this side of heaven. Rather, I'm talking about making my time here on Earth as good as it can possibly be. To not live a life of "meh", but a life of "WOW!"
I kind of went off on a tangent there, and now I can hear all my children waking up, so I'll close this here and write again another time. But I challenge all of you to think about the life you have, and ask yourself if you dare to live a life beyond simply 'good enough'.
XO, Sarah
Because the life I used to have was missing (apart from that list I just made) one extremely vital element.
Jesus.
Oh, I knew who he was, I had the Sunday school answers. But he was no more real to me than any other historical figure. He had no place in my daily life. And then I met my husband, and something changed. I wanted a life worth sharing with someone. I wanted a life of substance, of meaning. And I found it in Christ.
It didn't answer all my questions, and it didn't make me a perfect human being, a 'Stepford Christian'. I still make mistakes, I'm still selfish, and lazy, and messy. But the biggest difference in my life is that I'm not content to stay that way. I want to be more, better. I strive for 'better' in every aspect of my life. In my relationships, in my work, in my life. Good enough is something to settle for. It implies that I'm happy with where I'm at, that I'm satisified. I don't want to be satisfied any more. I want to be always seeking to improve. Because truth is that I am not perfect, and there will always be room for improvement. I'm not talking about wanting to be perfect, because that's not going to happen this side of heaven. Rather, I'm talking about making my time here on Earth as good as it can possibly be. To not live a life of "meh", but a life of "WOW!"
I kind of went off on a tangent there, and now I can hear all my children waking up, so I'll close this here and write again another time. But I challenge all of you to think about the life you have, and ask yourself if you dare to live a life beyond simply 'good enough'.
XO, Sarah
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